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Surf Coast Treasures

With Wade and Bengie away on Take It Easy’s delivery to Queensland, I have had to get organised so my weekends are occupied and not too lonely. For the first of these, I invited photographer Leanne Cole down the coast and we indulged in a few days of discovery of Surf Coast treasures. On the program was astrophotography, ND filter practice at waterfalls and macro photography of fungi, mosses and anything small and intriguing. We had an active few days, with lots of walking, climbing, accompanied by grunting, old people noises and complaints from you know who, who blames me for her sore legs!

Astrophotography

One of the best known beaches on the Victorian Surf Coast is Bells Beach. It is a surfing mecca but few people would come to it well after dark in the middle of winter. And yet the magic of astrophotography gives this iconic site a totally different feel. Lit up by a half moon and the Milky Way, the cloudy sky takes on a beautiful blue hue, studded with hundreds of stars, and the long exposure of 30 seconds slows the movement of the waves on the beach. These are the rewards for braving the cold and darkness. We missed the Aurora Australis, but it is an excuse to try again soon!

Milky Way at Bells Beach, looking towards South Side

Milky Way at South Side – f/3.5, 30 sec, ISO 6400

Milky Way at Bells Beach; ships in the distance

Milky Way at Bells Beach

Bells Beach by night

ND Filters

Further along the coast, at the back of Lorne, the Otways rainforest has secrets to reveal. With a tripod attached to our camera bag and an assortment of lenses and Neutral Density filters, we were armed and dangerous. We walked down to the bottom of the Cora Lynn, Won Wondah and Henderson falls, for some long exposure shots. There was plenty of water, and I enjoyed playing with the filters to slow the water down just enough to get a little bit of the milky, silky look without overdoing it.

Henderson Falls

Cora Lynn falls

Henderson Falls

Henderson Falls

Macro Photography

Then it was time for a change from the wide angle lens to the macro, and a slow climb back up and take images of colourful fungi, bright ferns and mosses along the track. Although we were clever, leaving the macro shots for the way back up, to give us plenty of opportunities to catch our breath, it was surprising how tiring it was to spend a few hours crouching right down to the ground to capture images of beautiful fungi. It was very muddy in places, and I think a useful addition to my kit will be a lightweight ground sheet, to put the gear on and to be able to kneel or be belly down on the ground without getting totally filthy!

Mosses

Bracket Fungus

Beautiful moss

Intricate lichen

Bracket Fungi

Jelly Fungus – translucent and convoluted masses

Apricot Hygrocybe

Agaric Amanita

Fern at Won Wondah Falls

Clavaria or coral fungi

All in all, a varied and satisfying few days. As usual I learnt a lot. It’s great to practise and get more and more comfortable with my camera. It is also really pleasing to understand more about how to use the neutral density filters to give a slightly milky effect to the water without obliterating all detail, and to learn how to get more depth of field in the macro shots so more of the subject is in focus. And doing all this in company is so much better than going it alone!

You got some great shots Chris, I haven’t had a good look at mine, well to process them, but will do it soon. Loved the waterfalls in the end. We might have to see if we can do an easier one next time.

Hi Chris. You are taking a big risk leaving my relative&a Cat in charge of the boat.I like the MACRO shots .You are a much keener photographer than I ever was, but I agree it can be a very rewarding hobby…….Frank